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In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate

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"May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You"

Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

For many of us Ramadaan has lost its spirituality and has become more of a ritual than a form of Ibaadah. We fast from morning to night like a zombie just because everyone around us is fasting too. We forget that its a time to purify our hearts and our souls from all evil....we forget to make dua, forget to beseech Allaah to forgive us and ask Him to save us from the Fire. Sure we stay away from food and drink but that's about all.

Although the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

“Jibreel said to me, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person to who Ramadaan comes and his sins are not forgiven, and I said, Ameen.

Then he said, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person who lives to see his parents grow old, one or both of them, but he does not enter Paradise (by not serving them) and I said, Ameen.

Then he said, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person in whose presence you are mentioned and he does not send blessings upon you, and I said, Ameen.’”

(Tirmidhi, Ahmad, others. Saheeh by al-Albaani)

2 : Too much stress on food and drink

For some people, the entire month of Ramadaan revolves around food. They spend the ENTIRE day planning, cooking, shopping and thinking about only food, instead of concentrating on Salaah, Quraan and other acts of worship. All they can think of is FOOD. So much so that they turn the month of fasting into the month of feasting. Come Iftaar time, their table is a sight to see, with the multitudes and varieties of food, sweets and drinks. They are missing the very purpose of fasting, and thus, increase in their greed and desires instead of learning to control them. It is also a kind of waste & extravagance.

".....and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allaah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance) " [al-Araaf :31]

3 : Spending all day cooking

Some of the sisters (either by their own choice or forced by their husbands) are cooking ALL day and ALL night, so that by the end of the day, they are too tired to even pray Ishaa, let alone pray Taraweeh or Tahajjud or even read Quraan. This is the month of mercy and forgiveness. So turn off that stove and turn on your Imaan!

4 : Eating too much

Some people stuff themselves at Suhoor until they are ready to burst, because they think this is the way to not feel hungry during the day and some people eat at Iftaar, like there is no tomorrow, trying to make up for the food missed. However, this is completely against the Sunnah. Moderation is the key to everything.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the son of Adam a few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight. If you must fill it, then one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air." (Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah. saheeh by al-Albaani).

Too much food distracts a person from many deeds of obedience and worship, makes him lazy and also makes the heart heedless.

It was said to Imam Ahmad: Does a man find any softness and humility in his heart when he is full? He said, I do not think so.

5 : Sleeping all day

Some people spend their entire day (or a major part of it) sleeping away their fast. Is this what is really required of us during this noble month? These people also are missing the purpose of fasting and are slaves to their desires of comfort and ease. They cannot bear to be awake and face a little hunger or exert a little self-control. For a fasting person to spend most of the day asleep is nothing but, negligence on his part.

6 : Wasting time

The month of Ramadaan is a precious, precious time, so much so that Allaah calls this month "Ayyamum Madoodaat" (A fixed number of days). Before we know it, this month of mercy and forgiveness will be over. We should try and spend every moment possible in the worship of Allaah so that we can make the most of this blessing. However, there are some of us who waste away their day playing video games, or worse still, watching TV, movies or even listening to music. Subhaan Allaah! Trying to obey Allaah by DISOBEYING him!

7 : Fasting but not giving up evil

Some of us fast but do not give up lying, cursing, fighting, backbiting, etc. and some of us fast but do not give up cheating, stealing, dealing in haraam, buying lotto tickets, selling alcohol, fornication, etc. and all kinds of impermissible things without realizing that the purpose of fasting is to not stay away from food and drink; rather the aim behind it is to fear Allaah.

“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)” [al-Baqarah 2:183]

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink." (Bukhaari)

8 : Smoking

Smoking is forbidden in Islam whether during Ramadaan or outside of it, as it is one of al-Khabaaith (evil things). And this includes ALL kinds of smoking material eg.cigars, cigarettes, pipes, sheesha, hookah etc.

"he allows them as lawful At Tayyibaat (all good and lawful things), and prohibits them as unlawful Al Khabaa'ith (all evil and unlawful things) [al-Araaf :157]

It is harmful, not only to the one smoking, but also to the ones around him. It is also a means of wasting ones wealth.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "There should be no harming or reciprocating harm."

This is especially true during fasting and it invalidates the fast. (Fatwa -Ibn Uthaymeen)

And he (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The thing that differentiates between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is eating suhoor." (Muslim)

10 : Stopping Suhoor at Imsaak

Some people stop eating Suhoor 10-15 minutes earlier than the time of Fajr to observe Imsaak.

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said: This is a kind of bidah (innovation) which has no basis in the Sunnah. Rather the Sunnah is to do the opposite. Allaah allows us to eat until dawn: "and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night)" [al-Baqarah 2:187]

And the Prophet (pbuh) said: "….eat and drink until you hear the adhaan of Ibn Umm Maktoom, for he does not give the adhaan until dawn comes."(Bukhari, volume 3, hadith 143)

This imsaak which some of the people do is an addition to what Allaah has prescribed, so it is false. It is a kind of extremism in religion, and the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

"Those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed." (Muslim)

11 : Not fasting if they missed Suhoor

Some people are too scared to fast if they miss Suhoor. However, this is a kind of cowardice and love of ease. What is the big deal if you missed a few morsels of food? Its not like you will die. Remember, obedience to Allaah overcomes everything.

12 : Saying the intention to fast out loud or saying a specific dua to start fasting

The intention is an action of the heart. We should resolve in our heart that we are going to fast tomorrow. That is all we need. It is not prescribed by the Shariah for us to say out loud, "I intend to fast", "I will fast tomorrow" or other phrases that have been innovated by some people. Also, there is no specific dua to be recited at the time of starting the fast in the correct Sunnah. Whatever dua you may see on some papers or Ramadaan calendars, etc. is a Bidah.

read more :
Uttering the intention to fast out loud is an innovation (bidah)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoveIslam_LiveIslam/message/258

Some people wait until the adhaan finishes or even several minutes after that, just to be on the safe side. However, the Sunnah is to hasten to break the fast, which means breaking fast whenever the adhaan starts, right after the sun has set. Aaishah (RA) said: This is what the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to do. (Muslim)

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The people will continue to do well so long as they hasten to break the fast." (Bukhaari, Muslim)

Determine to the best of your ability, the accuracy of your clock, calendar, etc. and then have tawakkul on Allaah and break your fast exactly on time.

14 : Eating continuously until the time for Maghrib is up

Some people put so much food in their plates when breaking their fast and continue eating, enjoying dessert, drinking tea, etc., until they miss Maghrib. That is obviously not right. The Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) was that once he broke his fast with some dates, them he would hasten to the prayer. Once you are done with the prayer, you can always go back and eat some more if you wish.

15 : Missing the golden chance of having your Dua accepted

The prayer of the fasting person is guaranteed to be accepted at the time of breaking fast.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Three prayers are not rejected: the prayer of a father, the prayer of a fasting person, and the prayer of a traveler." (al-Bayhaqi, saheeh by al-Albaani).

Instead of sitting down and making Dua at this precious time, some people forego this beautiful chance, and are too busy frying samosas, talking, setting the food, filling their plates and glasses, etc. Think about it....Is food more important than the chance to have your sins forgiven or the fulfillment of your Duas.

16 : Fasting but not praying

The fasting of one who does not pray WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. This is because not praying constitutes kufr as the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer." (Muslim)

In fact, NONE of his good deeds will be accepted; rather, they are all annulled.

"Whoever does not pray Asr, his good deeds will be annulled." (Bukhaari)

17 : Fasting and not wearing Hijaab

Not wearing the Hijaab is a major sin as it is obligatory for Muslim women. (See Surah Nur, Surah Ahzaab). So fasting and not wearing hijaab certainly takes away enormously from the rewards of fasting, even if does not invalidate it.

18 : Not fasting because of exams or work

Exams or work is NOT one of the excuses allowed by the Shariah to not fast. You can do your studying and revision at night if it is too hard to do that during the day. Also remember that pleasing and obeying Allaah is much more important than good grades. Besides, if you fulfil your obligation to fast, even if you have to study, Allaah will make it easy for you and help you in everything you do.

"Whosoever fears Allah, He will appoint for him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect, Allah is Sufficient for whosoever puts his trust in Him." (Surah at-Talaaq 2-3)

19 : Mixing fasting and dieting

DO NOT make the mistake of fasting with the intention to diet. That is one of the biggest mistakes some of us make (esp. sisters). Fasting is an act of worship and can only be for the sake of Allah alone.

Otherwise, mixing it with the intention of dieting may become a form of (minor) Shirk..

20 : Fighting over the number of Rakaah of Taraweeh

There is no specific number of rakahs for Taraweeh prayer, rather it is permissible to do a little or a lot. Both 8 and 20 are okay. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said: "No one should be denounced for praying eleven or twenty-three (rakaah), because the matter is broader in scope than that, praise be to Allaah."

21 : Praying ONLY on the night of the 27th

Some people pray ONLY on the 27th to seek Lailat ul-Qadr, neglecting all other odd nights, although the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Seek Lailat ul-Qadr among the odd numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadaan." (Bukhaari, Muslim).

22 : Wasting the last part of Ramadaan preparing for Eid

Some people waste the entire last 10 days of Ramadaan preparing for Eid, shopping and frequenting malls, etc. neglecting Ibadah and Lailatul Qadr. although, the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to strive the hardest during the last ten days of Ramadaan in worship (Ahmad, Muslim) and not in shopping. Buy whatever you need for Eid before Ramadaan so that you can utilize the time in Ramadaan to the max.

Aaishah (RA) said: “When the (last) ten nights began, the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam)) would tighten his waist-wrapper (i.e., strive hard in worship or refrain from intimacy with his wives), stay awake at night and wake his family.” (Bukhaari and Muslim).

23 : Iftaar parties

Although inviting each other for breaking fast is something good and encouraged, some people go to extremes with lavish Iftaar parties with all sorts of disobedience to Allaah, from flirting, mixing of the sexes and hijaab-less women, to show-off and extravagance, to heedlessness to Salaah, and Taraweeh to even music and dancing.

Must Watch :

Common Mistakes Commiteed By Muslims During Ramadan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6yfy05haeM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3YSYta5IAU

Haily

08-23-2009, 11:03 AM

very nice zara...im glad i just finished my taravee. and sweetie taravee can be prayed as 12 rakah too...

sunnyajmal

08-23-2009, 11:04 AM

jazakallah zara jee.............
this is the first time i read such long post............i read it till the end....

sveetzara

08-23-2009, 11:08 AM

mubarak ho sunny... plz distribute some sveets among us.. hehehehe

yea haily sveety as this post says "No one should be denounced for praying eleven or twenty-three (rakaah), because the matter is broader in scope than that, praise be to Allaah."

i usually pray 8 taraveeh... thats ok.. i think... so will u be fasting 2morrow??

sunnyajmal

08-23-2009, 11:11 AM

I pray 20 taraveeh..........

sveetzara

08-23-2009, 11:11 AM

do u fast sunny?

Haily

08-23-2009, 11:13 AM

I pray 20 taraveeh..........

yes we are all hanifi so we all pray 20 rakah, but the arabs mainly they are shaifi so they pray 8 rakas

Haily

08-23-2009, 11:14 AM

zara im sure he does..he is an afghan muslim allhumdulilallah

sunnyajmal

08-23-2009, 11:22 AM

do u fast sunny?

offcourse I do.......what made u ask that zara???

sveetzara

08-23-2009, 11:22 AM

lolz haily it is understood.. but i was just pulling his leg... ;-)

haily we also belong to imam abu hanfi... but its not necessary to pary 20 rkahas.. if u cant then minimum rakah is 8..

Haily

08-23-2009, 11:23 AM

yea thats wht i mean..imama hanfi... yup i agree with you... if u cant dow 20 raka u can do 8.. however, in other things u shouldnt do from shafi..cuz its advised, whoever u follow, stick to them....hope am making sense to u, cuz my head really hurts...

actually suny 8 or 20 is fine.. it is acceptable.... i mean .... just leave it... if u dont understand then its ok... and u knwo what 20 rakah is the best choice... so u r already on the best... so dont worry...

yea i asked my dad how long before should u stop eating at suhoor? and he said that it has been said if u can recite 3 subhanakallahuma (the one we recite in our prayer) which means a min or so before the prayer or adhan...

kool devil

08-24-2009, 04:40 AM

yes u r right haily...

Haily

08-24-2009, 07:00 AM

and for taravhee i kno u can also do 12 rakha, but abu hanifi does 20 raka, and shafi does 8 rakah, u kno im gonna research on that one, nd then post the information....

sunnyajmal

08-24-2009, 08:18 AM

hmmmm....ok agreed to u guys....

sveetzara

08-24-2009, 08:49 AM

thanx tom...

haily i asked my mom abt this confusion of 8 and 20 taraveeh... she said our Prophet Mohammad(PBUH) had prayed both 8 and 20 rakas.. so it deosnt matter.. and b4 anyone follows imam Hanfi and imam Shafi,, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is the best example for us. After all He is the first and foremost role model for all of us....

sunnyajmal

08-24-2009, 08:52 AM

hmmmmm....but Imams are those who has shown us the pathway of the prophet Mohammad.....

sveetzara

08-24-2009, 08:57 AM

hmmmmm....but Imams are those who has shown us the pathway of the prophet Mohammad.....

yea but i just wanted to get rid of this confusion... bcoz we follow imam Hanfi... and as haily said he does 20 rakas... and we all know if we follow some1 we need to follow him in every aspect of life. and now i usually pray 8 rakas... thats y i was confused after reading haily's comment... but i think if we can get crystal clear examples form Prohet Mohammad(PBUH)' life then we dont need to be confused at all.. and if really we cant find any example or any soultion for a prob then these 4 Imams should be followed...

sabercool

08-24-2009, 09:00 AM

nice post.................

But I didnt get the 10th point will u pls explain..........

One more thing ZARA...........

Once a mufti sahab told me that instead of fighting for 8 or 20 to be safe side we must read twenty...

He gave example as:

Suppose if we are going to buy a particular thing (assume we can buy that thing only if we have sufficient money at that time) and we dont know the exact price of that

then at that moment we must take the maximum money which is required forgetting about minimum.

Now come back to our topic:

Let us say if on the resurrection day if allah(swt) says that taraweeh was 20 then we will be on the safe side.

suppose if he says that it is 8 then our goods deeds will be increased(dont forget in Ramadan) our deeds will be increased to 70 times.

then we will be getting 70*12 times extra sawab then others.........

sveetzara

08-24-2009, 09:03 AM

well its is crystal clear that Prophet Mohamad (PBUH) had prayed both 8 and 20 rakahs... i think there is no more confusion...

moreover, no1 is fighting here... :D... we r just tyring to figure out something... and yea thanx for ur information... it was convincing enough... well lemme read #10 and expalin it to u.. as much as i can...

sveetzara

08-24-2009, 09:04 AM

saber just tell me, what u r confused abt?? i mean its quite clear.. that we can eat till the adhan.. so what r u not getting at this point???

sunnyajmal

08-24-2009, 09:10 AM

i think there is nothing to confuse abt..

Haily

08-24-2009, 09:42 AM

zara love..i dont think u understood wht i was trying to say.. by praying 8 raka, nothing is wrong, its completely ok.. u can do 8 or 20.. but mainly abu hanifi we all do 20. however that doesnt mean we cant do 8, if u are really tired u can do 8..mainly countires like afghanistan, pakistan, india, bangladesh, we follow abu Hanifi, and mainly the arab regions follow Shafi.. however if you are from Hanifi, there are alot of different things that Shafi do, that hanifi dont.. so it is advised, whoever you follow, stick with them.. but about the tarawhee, you can pray 8.. and you can also pray 12 raka of tarawhee too... babes do understand my point, or do u want me to call u, nd explain it to u on person.....

sveetzara

08-24-2009, 09:50 AM

arrey ... hehehe.. haily i understood u... i mean dnt worry... i was making clear to sunny... and i know what u meant...

all i want to say is that... in other words.. im of the veiw that we can pray minimum 8 ... and maximum 20... as it is said in this thread the main purpose is to parise Allah... so i think there is nothing wrong as long as our intentions r good and we keep that purpose in our minds....:)

sabercool

08-24-2009, 09:53 AM

waht does imsaak means..........................

Commondo

08-24-2009, 09:57 AM

Hey just search the word Imsaak in google, you will get all the answers

sveetzara

08-24-2009, 09:57 AM

http://www.ummah.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-10315.html

chk it out saber...

Haily

08-24-2009, 11:20 AM

i kno sweetie..zara one more thing...i wonder if u have heard this too.. i heard that the maximum for tarawhee u can do 40 rakah..im gonna talk to an imam abt this.. do u kno anything abt this...

sveetzara

08-24-2009, 11:27 AM

i kno sweetie..zara one more thing...i wonder if u have heard this too.. i heard that the maximum for tarawhee u can do 40 rakah..im gonna talk to an imam abt this.. do u kno anything abt this...

yea thats wt is said on 1st page... as much as u like.. just to please Allah..

sunnyajmal

08-24-2009, 11:33 AM

whats up guys???

Haily

08-24-2009, 11:34 AM

nothing we are just discussing abt the whole tarawhe thing and everything..hows work for you?

sunnyajmal

08-24-2009, 11:38 AM

am a bit in trouble with Cigarittes hails...
you know I have left it during ramadan...

Haily

08-24-2009, 11:39 AM

omg that must be hard.. u kno i was thinking abt u ajmal with the whole cigarette thing..how are u feeling...

sunnyajmal

08-24-2009, 11:43 AM

am feeling a bit crazy, but am sure i can adjust...

Haily

08-24-2009, 11:47 AM

You kno my prayers are with you.. Ajmal maybe inshallah u'll quit it thats how.. let me tell u something..when u feel that way, that u need a smoke.. u need to run.. exercise, or take a shower with cold water.. plz listen to me, nd do it once.. nd see if u feel diff

sunnyajmal

08-24-2009, 11:53 AM

hmmm....sure i will try to do the same inshallah...

Haily

08-24-2009, 11:57 AM

inshallah..hopefully everything works out..let me kno if its working for u..ok

sunnyajmal

08-24-2009, 12:00 PM

but to be honest wid u....i don't see any need to leave it......so why should i leave it......coz its my friend from the last few years...and has been with me at every movement of my life that i felt alone...
so is it fair to leave it hails???

kool devil

08-24-2009, 03:26 PM

hmmm..
u r most welcome sweet..pleasure is mine...

Commondo

08-24-2009, 09:09 PM

Hey Guys, you haven't gone through the list of common mistakes...

this was posted to avoid those mistakes and in the same thread the mistake is being committed...

Please do have a look:

20 : Fighting over the number of Rakaah of Taraweeh

There is no specific number of rakahs for Taraweeh prayer, rather it is permissible to do a little or a lot. Both 8 and 20 are okay. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said: "No one should be denounced for praying eleven or twenty-three (rakaah), because the matter is broader in scope than that, praise be to Allaah."

meera84

08-24-2009, 09:42 PM

very nice post zara dear......................

Haily

08-24-2009, 11:48 PM

Hey Guys, you haven't gone through the list of common mistakes...

this was posted to avoid those mistakes and in the same thread the mistake is being committed...

Please do have a look:

20 : Fighting over the number of Rakaah of Taraweeh

There is no specific number of rakahs for Taraweeh prayer, rather it is permissible to do a little or a lot. Both 8 and 20 are okay. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said: "No one should be denounced for praying eleven or twenty-three (rakaah), because the matter is broader in scope than that, praise be to Allaah."

were not fighting... were just explaining it to each other, nd its always best to gain ur knowledge rite....

Haily

08-24-2009, 11:52 PM

but to be honest wid u....i don't see any need to leave it......so why should i leave it......coz its my friend from the last few years...and has been with me at every movement of my life that i felt alone...
so is it fair to leave it hails???

Ajmal why take help of such frnd that is destroying ur life nd u kno it.. its bad for ur health, when u get married ur wife can get cancer too, cuz second hand smoke is just bad as first hand..think abt ur future kids, ur family, ur mom and dad, that will love u to leave it... if u dont want to leave it for urself, leave it for others..cuz im sure no one will be happy to see u un-healthy.. roza is suppose to take away all the bad habits, this could be the roza for you, that u might give up smoking.... now its early, dont delay it, cuz as times goes by, it will get harder and harder to quit it.. i dont kno if me saying makes any difference, but i want to ask u on behalf of everyone..ur parents, family, ur health, if you can PLEASE Quit it.. cuz this will ruin ur life..u have no idea wht kind of stuff the put in to cigarettes, u kno they put in rat Poisson...

kool devil

08-25-2009, 09:19 AM

hmmm nyc one com bhai

sunnyajmal

08-25-2009, 09:27 AM

hmmmmmmm....i have already left it......and still in fight with it.........

kool devil

08-25-2009, 09:30 AM

kool

sunnyajmal

08-25-2009, 09:32 AM

Devil bhi kaho na saath mai..........lol

Commondo

08-25-2009, 10:02 AM

Hails, fighting here does not mean that you were (literally) cursing or kicking each other...

It means that the discussion over that topic should be avoided as far as possible...

anyways its up to you to follow or not...

sveetzara

08-25-2009, 10:10 AM

Hails, fighting here does not mean that you were (literally) cursing or kicking each other...

It means that the discussion over that topic should be avoided as far as possible...

anyways its up to you to follow or not...

well no one is arguing and and convincing each other... we were just elaborating some points... :smt003

Commondo

08-25-2009, 10:25 AM

whatever...

sveetzara

08-25-2009, 10:37 AM

:tounge5:

(¯`° (Ajnabee) °´¯)

08-25-2009, 02:52 PM

Har gunnah se app pak o saaf ho

Apki her khata Ramzan kay
sadqa muaf ho

Mere dil sey dua nikalti he app kay leay

Iss saal Majid-e-Nabwi mein apka aitekaaf ho..

AMEEN

Commondo

08-25-2009, 02:58 PM

Sum'Ameen!!!

Haily

08-25-2009, 11:07 PM

commondo fighting or arguing would be like me providing evidence thats its only 8 raka, and zara providing evidence thats itso nly 20 raka, someone else providing evidence that its 12 raka or so and none of us agreeing to each other, we are all providing evidence that u can do 8 or 20, agreeing with each-other just elaborating more on the matter....